


Halloween Spice

by sweetcarolanne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Candy, Established Relationship, Fluff, Food, Halloween, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Magic, Trick or Treat: Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-07-20 15:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16140449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetcarolanne/pseuds/sweetcarolanne
Summary: Horace is preparing a delectable selection of sweets for Halloween, but Albus seems to be craving another kind of sweetness...





	Halloween Spice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [The_Plaid_Slytherin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Plaid_Slytherin/gifts).



> Dear recipient, I hope you enjoy this gift - Happy Halloween!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters and am making no profit from this story.
> 
> Many thanks to my anonymous beta.

Summer was but a distant memory, and the nights were growing chillier, anticipating the bitterness of winter’s icy grip. The staff and students of Hogwarts, however, were beginning to feel an excitement building in the air that seemed to almost palpably crackle, a little bit like autumn leaves underfoot. The Muggle-born students would have termed such a feeling “electric”.

For Horace Slughorn, it was simply the delicious thrill of looking forward to Halloween.

Every year, wherever he might be residing, Horace always made the most of the Halloween celebrations, and now that he was back teaching at Hogwarts again, he was able to indulge himself to the utmost with the preparations for one of the festivals he held most dear. Supervising the decorations for the staff common room and the Great Hall, and personally giving detailed instructions to the house elves in the kitchen as to what he wanted on the Halloween feast menu.

And of course, there was Horace’s absolute favourite part of the whole festive period – there were the multitudes of sweets to organise.

Horace had pre-ordered plentiful supplies of all the chocolates he loved most, both commonly available and more exotic flavours, for him and his beloved Albus to enjoy, and for the Slug Club’s pre-Halloween dinner party. He had also taken charge of arranging for little parcels of confectionery as party favours for the teachers and the students at the Halloween feast; liquorice bats and white chocolate skulls, Jelly Slugs and supposedly blood-flavoured lollipops (they were actually raspberry, as Horace did not care for the taste of blood and assumed that nobody else at Hogwarts would either) were ready to be packed into miniature pumpkins made of papier-mâché and laid out beside each place at the long tables on the night of the feast.

Even better than all of this was the special surprise that the Potions Master was himself preparing as the pièce de résistance of the Halloween delicacies. 

Horace was concocting this glorious-smelling mixture in the solid gold cauldron he reserved for such important occasions, feeling more than a little pleased with himself as he sniffed and gave the pale orange liquid, which was slowly beginning to bubble and thicken, another careful stir.

The Potions Master was so absorbed in his task that he did not hear the opening of the door and soft footsteps approaching, and got quite startled when he felt a gentle hand laid on his arm, almost dropping the wooden spoon he was using onto the floor and knocking the golden cauldron flying. He was about to deliver a sharp reprimand to whoever had the bare-faced cheek to disturb his very vital work, but relaxed and even chuckled a little when he saw that Albus was standing beside him.

“I thought I smelled cinnamon, and other delicious things,” Albus said, his eyes twinkling like those of a delighted child (he was always that way where sweets were concerned). “What particularly luscious treat are you making for us this Halloween, Horace?”

Horace smiled broadly, feeling slightly smug and deservedly so.

“It’s an invention of my own – Pumpkin Fudge, and I’m absolutely positive that everyone is going to absolutely adore it,” Horace said, and Albus nodded.

“I’m certain that they will,” Albus replied, and tilted his head as if in deep thought, tapping his nose lightly with one forefinger. “But in my humble opinion, the mixture could use a little something extra.”

Horace stared at Albus in disbelief for a moment. His recipe was absolutely perfect – whatever could Albus be going on about?”

With a small smile, Albus leaned over and placed a kiss on Horace’s lips, for the moment a chaste one, but lingering for long enough to promise much more.

“I’m talking about Halloween spice, of course, and that’s a kind of magic that we must adjourn to the bedroom to complete,” Albus whispered, and held out his hand to Horace. “Shall we?”

“Albus! Wait till the mixture’s smoothed out and cooling first,” Horace retorted, trying to sound huffy. 

But he could not disguise the tenderness in his voice or stop himself from blushing profusely.


End file.
